A 65-foot trawler is the last major vessel added to South Carolina’s artificial reef fleet.
The decommissioned shrimp boat was deployed off Georgetown in October and is helping to create more fish habitat along the coast and provide another destination for fishermen and divers.
The state’s Department of Natural Resources said the vessel joins a large barge and 20 Army vehicles that are already on site. This new addition was led and funded by the state’s Coastal Conservation Association and Sea Hunt Boat Co.
The association is made up of recreational saltwater fishermen who, according to director Scott Whitaker, were some of the country’s first conservationists.
“They recognize how important it is to be aware not only … of wise resource management, but also of giving back and creating habitat when we can,” he said.
He said recreational fishermen of all ages and backgrounds are better prepared than ever to support measures that will conserve their resources.
“Last year, I think, there was a new awakening for the general public about the importance of our natural resources,” said Whitaker.
He said he believed the social disengagement blocks and recommendations brought marine and natural resources back to the forefront as more people participated in activities like fishing, boating and hiking.
The SC Memorial Reef won its third major piece of structure when the old bridge on the SC 41 highway that crossed the Wando River was sunk there. The SC Memorial Reef, located 52 miles from Charleston, is a Type II Marine Protected Area designed to provide habitat for deepwater grouper species. Archive / Bob Martore / SCDNR / Provided
Making people aware of marine resources is an important step in improving them, said Whitaker.
The association has implanted 15 reefs in the state and wants to have more structures for creating reefs in each location by 2030.
Robert Martore leads the DNR’s artificial reef program. He said the agency generally adds at least two or three large trawlers each year to the reef system. About five additional vessels are in a shipyard now in preparation to be sunk and finally provide more habitats on the high seas.
Biologists have also built and excavated new concrete projects at the popular Charleston 60 reef site. They used octagonal structures designed to control erosion to create eight towers that are providing more habitats on the seabed. The towers are of different heights and configurations, said DNR.
These creations have not been used specifically for fish habitats before.
“We will monitor the structures and, if they attract and keep a significant number of fish, we will build more and distribute them along the coast,” said Martore in a press release.
Tom Robinson, owner of Charleston Scuba, said the Charleston 60 Reef site is one of the closest locations that can be found in the area. It is about 19 kilometers from the end of the jetties. Your company uses reef sites like these when assisting in research on groundwater and coral reef ecology.
Robinson saw firsthand the need for these new habitats. He said part of the problem is that South Carolina is a shallow coastal plain.
He noted that some underwater ledges in the Charleston area have ledges that fish tend to like.
“But there is very little structure for the fish to aggregate and they need shelter,” he said. “So, artificial reefs provide that. And the fish start to aggregate on these reefs and things start to grow on metal, iron and steel. “
Robinson said that these reefs provide many habitats, but also many opportunities for fishermen and women.
There are 48 reef sites in the state. A wide variety of items have been used in artificial reef ecosystems, including Army tanks and the old bridge on Highway 41 SC, which previously crossed the Wando River.
Martore said people are more interested in hearing about the New York subway cars that are now at the bottom of the ocean in South Carolina.
The historic Clamagore submarine is anchored at Patriots Point, next to the Yorktown aircraft carrier. Plans to add the submarine to the state’s reef system were due to start last year, but were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Archive / Gavin McIntyre / Team
Plans to add the historic Clamagore submarine to the state’s reef system were due to start last year, but were halted by the pandemic COVID-19. The submarine is housed at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant. Funds to sink the Cold War submarine have been redirected.
When the last study was completed 12 years ago, the reef program was estimated to have an economic impact of about $ 83 million annually. The number of fishermen using the reef sites has increased since then, so Martore said he believes the economic impact has also increased.
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